How To Pack For A 2 Week Vacation Using Only a Carryon and Still Look Cute

I have always been envious of those who had the ability to pack just 5 items of clothing and look cute 800 different ways. My stylish friend Reachel enlightened me with the following formula:

Pack just one item of clothing for each day that you are gone.

WHAT! This was so counterintuitive to what I have done in the past. I was an “outfit for everyday of the trip” type of gal.

The secret is to devise a wardrobe that can be mixed and matched.

You can do this one of two ways.

The first is to use a color wheel to find which colors compliment each other.

Now this can be a bit complicated for some, so instead you can select a favorite print (floral, stripes, whatever you prefer) and then draw upon the colors that are used in the print. You can see Reachel’s helpful tutorial using this formula HERE.

Since I am planning a trip to a beachy area I settled on a somewhat French Seashore theme comprising of the colors navy, white, coral, butter yellow and kelly green.

In my carry on I will pack a lightweight blue sweater purchased last year at Forever 21 because airplanes, restaurants and seaside evenings can get cool. A similar sweater is shown HERE and other versions can also be found at such stores as Target and Marshalls.

A second sweater in green was also included. I found mine earlier this year at a Banana Republic outlet on major markdown but a similar sweater is sold HERE.

I selected one dressy top, two t shirts and two tank tops in various shades of my selected palette. The green top and the blue and white striped top came from a Banana Republic outlet earlier this year on clearance. I see similar tops at discount stores quite often.

The yellow t shirt was found at Forever 21. A similar t shirt can be found HERE.

The coral t shirt was found at J C Penney.

The white eyelet dot tank was a recent major score at the J. Crew outlet due to a small split seam that I was able to easily repair. The full price version can be found HERE.

The coral cropped pants were found at T. J. Maxx and the denim capri’s at Marshalls. I have recently seen similar styles at other discount stores.

The white and navy cotton ankle pants were found at end of summer clearance last year at Banana Republic. A similar version is shown HERE but again you can find white and navy ankle pants at almost any clothing store.

The polka dotted skirt is my favorite and a bit of a splurge for me at $42.99 but others might think it’s a steal! If you go HERE I’ve listed the link and there is a $15 coupon.

While Reachel packs 2 pairs of shoes and wears a third pair I plan on packing only one other pair because I don’t wear heels. The blue and white striped flats I purchased on deep discount at the Gap outlet will be dressy enough to see me through. I’ve seen similar flats and espadrilles at Target and other discount stores.

My darling daughter knows how much I adore toe ring sandals. She found my second pair of vacation shoes at Anthro. Since she works for the company they were almost half off, but you can find them HERE.

For those who noticed, “Why yes, I did paint my toenails a coral shade to coordinate with my clothing.”  :)

The the final touch is accessories. You may have the overall impression that my clothing is always purchased on sale or from inexpensive discount stores. That is correct. But the secret to never looking cheap is great accessories.

For this trip I will wear my really good (valuable/sentimental) jewelry on the plane. They include Grandma Mary’s pearls, my wedding and mother’s ring and some nice gold hoops. I think they lend well to the French Seashore theme as I can’t help but think of oysters and gold hoop wearing pirates. :)

But I am also packing 3 pieces of cute on trend fashion jewelry. The flower statement necklace and the daisy earrings were found at Forever 21 last year. 98% of my fashion costume jewelry is purchased there. The coral bracelet was recently found on clearance at my local J.C. Penney.

One area that I don’t hesitate to spend money on is handbags. As a young adult I worked in the handbag department at Macy’s and yes, there is a difference. I will pack a small over the shoulder purse and take a large “Eze” basket tote as my “purse” on the plane. It is large enough to hold my wallet, plane tickets, small makeup bag, snacks, 2 magazines, 1 book and my bulky 35 mm camera. It will work great at the beach too!

I plan on taking you along on vacation with me so you’ll get to see how the outfits evolve based on the fun activities planned. So stay tuned.

Bon Voyage!

Laura

Fit Friday~ Just Breathe

We've all been here:

After a rather hectic week I am taking a few days off.

My grandmother made it through her surgery with flying colors. Thank you SO very much for your kind words and prayers. It truly helped. We've made plans that I will visit her soon.

We also said goodbye to our very best friends in Arizona. They are moving to the east coast.

Both events had me thinking about the phrase "Bon Voyage”.

So next week I am excited to say that here at DTA we will be celebrating with a summertime theme of Bon Voyage.

Think themed tablescapes

How to pack for a two week vacation using just a carry on and still look cute.

A favorite Greek appetizer that also happens to be good for you.

I’ll be back on Monday refreshed and ready to go,

Laura

Peonies for Someone Special

My dear Grandma Ingalls aka “Jingles” is in the hospital. Her 91 year old heartbeat is erratic. It slows then quickly speeds up. Today they will be transferring her by ambulance from the local hospital to a bigger hospital in Duluth.

She is alone. She is tired. The doctor hopes she will stabilize, but if not she will need surgery to insert a pacemaker. Surgery at any age, let alone 91, can be risky.

I am “her person”. It is hard to be so very far away from her.

I am trying not to worry. My attempts have been somewhat futile. So I am trying to channel my energies into positive hope. I found a bunch of one of her favorite flowers, peonies, and brought them home and placed them in what she considers the best vase ever:

A blue mason jar.

I ask for your prayers and understanding that I may be away from the blog.

Laura

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” ~ Romans 12:12 

Fit Friday~ Eating Healthy While On The Road

Having completed a 3 day juice cleanse on Thursday I was definitely ready and desperately needing some some carbs and protein Friday morning. Andrea had made some homemade biscuits, a bit of bacon and offered a lovely bowl of berries.

Feeling my strength coming back we loaded the truck and began the 5 hour drive to San Luis Obispo. In my opinion the single most important thing you can bring on a road trip is a cooler/ice chest. Our cooler was filled with blueberries, mango, apples, pretzels, cheese and our ice chest contained lots of water. I was bound and determined to snack and eat as healthfully as I could.

I found 20 quick and easy snack ideas HERE.

After a long drive followed by setting up our vendor booth we were all ready to practically eat our arms off. On the way to the motel I spied a health food store and market.

Once inside I made a beeline for the salad bar and loaded up on fresh favorites.

I also picked up a rotisserie chicken and a small loaf of French bread.

The beauty of this meal was that it was healthy, the cost was minimal and it fed three people not only dinner on Friday but also an excellent lunch on Saturday.

Saturday evening the Remnants of the Past organizers offered a social meet and greet for the vendors with heavy appetizers catered by the Haute Skillet Food truck. I opted to eat the broccoli slaw and tomato bruschetta but heard the caramelized onion and fig treats were out of this world.

I had made a decision that Sunday will be the day that I take a break from regimented eating. A day of rest to eat whatever I want. I think that by doing this there will never be a feeling a denial. Rather it will be “Oh, I can’t eat that today, but will look forward to eating it on Sunday.”

So Sunday breakfast was a cup of hot tea, a handful of berries and a chocolate croissant from Panera Bakery. It was indeed as yummy as it looks.

Then it was lunchtime. Having eaten all the chicken and salad the day before I began to search for a fairly healthful option from one of the food vendors at the show. Fresh Fire Pizza was the winner. They specialize in delicious wood fired oven pizzas made from the purest ingredients. So this was somewhat of a healthful treat. An lovely apple made for a delicious dessert.

Dinnertime found us on the road home. Thank goodness it was Sunday because I wanted a hamburger and French fries like nobody’s business. I may have licked my fingers.

Monday found me making a fruit smoothie for breakfast and lunch was a salad. I then stepped on the scale and was surprised that the 6 pounds I had lost were still missing.

Laura

Remnants of the Past

I’m typing up this post still somewhat comatose. What a weekend!

The Fashionista and I drove from Phoenix to Laguna Beach late Thursday night. We encountered unbelievable traffic and detours. Up early Friday morning to pack up the truck we drove another 5 hours to San Luis Obispo. I was a bit of a nervous wreck hauling such a precious load for such a great distance.

Upon arriving I was filled with giddiness brought on by the creative beauty of the outdoor booths.

This lovely gem was set up like a French bakery and sold antique household goods. I asked for a card twice but alas was not given one. :(

The indoors booths offered just as much sparkle.

Both Andrea and I loved the booth content and styling by George Garma Antiques and Design. 

I loved the silk ribbon accented keys placed in an enamel bowl filled with rice. 

Galvanized canning jar lids with chicken wire inserts were offered by Time Since Remembered. As I often use my blue mason jars as floral vases the lids could act as a frog of sorts.

I walked by this antique chocolate mold twice but alas, it did not come home with me.

Our booth featured antique crates that beckoned a closer look.

Within each crate we nestled small vignettes of French found treasures.

Sparkly arm candy and beautiful baubles.

A Majolica pitcher was paired with a sundial and soap.

A basket filled with vintage millinery and antique lace came home almost empty. 

The booth was definitely rocking the Casbah look. It was a tight squeeze often filled elbow to elbow.

I couldn’t have done it without this sweet girl. Isn’t she darling channeling her inner Audrey?

After a 10 hour day spent on our feet we sought solace at the the SLO mission.

Taking time to smell the beautiful flowers.

Sunday was another full day at the market. In the late afternoon we packed up, dropped off the remaining unsold treasures in Laguna and headed home to Phoenix arriving sometime after 3 am.

I was never so glad to see a pillow.

I’ll be back on Fit Friday sharing how we managed to eat healthfully while working as vendors and staying in a motel 6.

Laura

The San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Mission

I’m in San Luis Obispo this weekend. It’s been quite a few years since I toured the San Luis Obispo mission which was founded by Father Junipero Serra in 1772.

The church has an unusual “L” shaped design featuring a short and narrow nave as well as a secondary nave almost the same size on the right side of the altar. The layout of the belfry and vestibule can be found nowhere else among all the other California missions. It is truly a special place.

“if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.” ~ 1 Timothy 3:15

Laura

In observance of the Sabbath, in lieu of a comment, please say a prayer for travelers everywhere.

Day 3 of the Dr. Oz Cleanse and Something Fun for the Weekend

So, I finished the cleanse. I lost a total of 6 pounds, but again I think it was mainly water weight. I was talking to my daughter about the fact that overall there didn’t appear to be much “cleansing” going on.

Her reply:

“Mom, your idea of {fast food} is going to Subway and getting a 6 inch whole wheat turkey sandwich loaded up with veggies and no condiments. So it’s not like you have a lot to cleanse in the first place.”

It made me laugh because she knows me so well.

Overall I didn’t starve and I could see myself doing a 1 day cleanse every now and again. I will definitely be incorporating a juice/veggie drink into my daily regime a few times a week. Probably breakfast.

It was interesting to me that I didn’t crave junk food but things like chicken and cheddar cheese. I guess I would never make a good vegan.

I was amazed by the tremendous response I received. I am trying to respond to each and every comment, question and email. Most of you want a follow up. Well guess what? I had already decided to make a lifestyle change and I am happy to include you on this journey. You can help keep me honest!

So this summer every Friday will be “Fit Friday”. It will cover yummy, healthy and low cost meals, enjoyable exercise, and treats that make you feel good about yourself!

In between the cleanse I have been working on a few projects and painting the exterior of my home. Mr. Décor and my father in law sure can work a roller! So I promise, more décor is coming soon!!!

I’ve also been prettying up some antiques to prepare for:

Remnants of the Past

As you read this I am in San Luis Obispo with the Fashionista and Andrea. We are working ‘round the clock getting Rêve put to bed. Later on we’ll be setting up our French Flavored booth.

I’ve been contemplating just how I can manage to shop while I sell…..

Oh yeah. It’s gonna be good and I packed my camera.

Laura

Day 2 of Dr. Oz’s 3 Day Cleanse

So, I’m on day 2 of Dr. Oz’s 3 day cleanse. If you missed day 1 you can find it HERE.

The bath was fantastic last night and I slept well.

The night before I sliced up a banana and measured out 1 cup of raspberries and froze them both for the morning drink. It was SO much better this way. I actually could drink this in lieu of breakfast several mornings a week. 

Ok lunch. I COULD NOT fathom trying to get the two glass lunch drink down again. So I switched it up. I eliminated the cucumbers and celery from the drink itself and it was actually quite tasty. Then I snacked on the missing cucumbers and celery all afternoon. I know that more vitamins are released when juicing, but I just couldn’t do it. I did however chew everything really, really well. :)

So it’s a cheat, sort of.

Once again I had a really busy day so there wasn’t a lot of time to think about food and I didn't need the afternoon “snack” drink. I wasn’t hungry. Hubby says given that Dr. Oz has 30-40 pounds on me I needed to keep in mind that perhaps a smaller person doesn’t need all the food. Made sense to me.

By 3 pm I was really tired. This was difficult as I still had so much to do so the afternoon was a bit of a challenge. I did finally lay down for 20 minutes and spent the entire time thinking that the people who commented “I have SO much energy!” must have been lying.

I did not suffer any headaches but I wanted roasted chicken in the WORST way.

What food do you dream about?

Laura